Rbeckett, where do you get your info? I don't see any evidence of price spikes due to any of the reasons you mention. Seems like local price gouging to me.

I was a Hzmat certified driver and it cost me 100 for a state of Fl background check, and the hazmat fees at my local welding supply went from 3 to 12 dollars per tank. When I asked why I was being charged hazmat fees for non hazardous gas, they replied that as of the first of Jan 2012, ALL transactions would have a 7% hazmat fee with a minimum 1.00 per ticket charge. I understand Hydrogen, Acetyline, even Oxygen, but CO2 and Argon in addition to Helium, cmon guys that is just an excuse to exploit a profit and revenue stream. Their attitude was it you want it you will pay it. Now I use a mom and pop gas supplier and am much happier with the service, price and reasonablness of there fee structure. So no anecdotal info, real world "it happened to me" situation.
Bob

__________________
What do you mean "no Kidneys"???, WTF now I gotta drink less beer...
Join the Automation sub forum in Electric brewing for a discussion of components and control systems. I did!!!!

as of the first of Jan 2012, ALL transactions would have a 7% hazmat fee with a minimum 1.00 per ticket charge.

So delivery of large bottles to the retailer incurs a fee. Then smaller bottles are filled, and the cost is passed onto the consumer at a rate of 7% or $1 minimum per transaction? I still don't get how that pencils out to so much money in his area.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ShepFL

Approx. $20 for 20# here in Jax, FL metro area. 4.95 for hydro test.
Helgat gas. For that price I am not gonna destroy a tank and try to beat ice into it.

This needs to be said again and again - these canisters are full of compressed air waiting to escape; in other words, they're BOMBS.

No one should be ****ing with these things if they're not licensed to do so, and no one should ever be screwing around with a charged cylinder

Gotta second this.

Having worked with very hazardous materials, from radioactive to strong oxidizers to carcinogens to compressed gases, I wouldn't attempt this. I'm fully HAZWOPER, OSHA, HAZMAT, etc. trained. Not gonna do it.

There's a couple things that can go wrong with this method...

1. There's more pressure in the tank than you expect and when you start taking the valve off it pops off and hurts you. Valves can stick, gauges can be inaccurate.
2. You put the dry ice in, which then rapidly cools the metal tank, it pressurizes, then you move it. All of a sudden, due to the temperature, the tank cracks and sends shards of metal into your legs, arms, genitals, you name it. This can happen from a temperature difference (setting on a much warmer surface), the metal being too cold and below it's working temp, or just dumb luck.

For example, you can autoclave (high temp, high pressure sterilization) many flasks with liquid in them and set them onto room temperature counters hundreds of times. And then you get one that's got a weak spot, or you didn't let cool as long, or the liquid holds heat better than your normal liquid, etc. and you put it down and it explodes all over you.

You don't want that. Be safe, let a professional do it. Even if it costs you a little more. Saving $20 every 6 months ain't worth your life.

Iím doing it tomorrow and will also record it.I have a 25 kg CO2 tank, I have taken the center valve out and tomorrow with drop 5 kg of dry ice pellets in it .Because it is a BOC bottle which here in Australia no one will refill because it is owned by BOC,if I take it to BOC they will confiscate it because im not paying rent on it.
Was full lasted ages cant get filled anywhere so time to experiment.Ill link to youtube tommorow night if still alive

I'm not really clear what made you resurrect this thread in the first place, and definitely not sure why after reading it you decided this was a good idea. It might work at 5kg, it might work at 10kg, or even 25kg. Or it might explode.